Tangier in 7 days

The gateway between continents: kasbah views to Spain, literary legends, and a reborn Mediterranean port city. Best time to visit: April-June, September-November. Average daily budget: $55 to $120 USD.

Day 1, Land & wander

Base: The Kasbah, The walled hilltop quarter with the sultan's palace museum and strait views.

Morning: Kasbah Museum. Explore the former sultan's palace, Dar el Makhzen, and its Mediterranean treasures.

Afternoon: Explore The Kasbah, The walled hilltop quarter with the sultan's palace museum and strait views.

Evening: Café Hafa. Drink mint tea on the clifftop terraces where the Stones and Beats once sat.

Eat: Fresh sardines and grilled fish at the port restaurants

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: The Medina, A manageable old town of souks, the Grand Socco and the Petit Socco cafes.

Morning: Cap Spartel & Hercules Caves. Stand where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean at the lighthouse, then see the Africa-shaped cave opening.

Afternoon: Explore The Medina, A manageable old town of souks, the Grand Socco and the Petit Socco cafes.

Evening: American Legation Museum. Visit the only US National Historic Landmark on foreign soil, in the medina's heart.

Eat: Bissara, the fava-bean soup breakfast of dockworkers

Day 3, Food & markets

Base: Ville Nouvelle, The French-era downtown with the Boulevard Pasteur and beach promenade.

Morning: The Librairie des Colonnes bookshop, a literary institution since 1949.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Ville Nouvelle, The French-era downtown with the Boulevard Pasteur and beach promenade.

Evening: Cinema Rif on the Grand Socco, restored and screening arthouse films.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Seafood pastilla in the kasbah quarter

Day 4, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Marshan & Merchán, Leafy villa district with the Mendoubia Gardens and literary heritage.

Morning: The Perdicaris Park forest trails above the strait.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Marshan & Merchán, Leafy villa district with the Mendoubia Gardens and literary heritage.

Evening: Day trip to Asilah's mural-painted medina, 45 minutes south.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Mint tea and Moroccan pastries at a Petit Socco cafe

Day 5, Day trip

Base: Cap Spartel & the Caves, The lighthouse headland and Hercules Caves, 14km west.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Cap Spartel & the Caves, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Cap Spartel & the Caves, The lighthouse headland and Hercules Caves, 14km west.

Evening: Dinner at Fresh sardines and grilled fish at the port restaurants, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Cap Spartel & the Caves.

Eat: Fresh sardines and grilled fish at the port restaurants

Day 6, Hidden gems

Base: The Kasbah, The walled hilltop quarter with the sultan's palace museum and strait views.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in The Kasbah, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore The Kasbah, The walled hilltop quarter with the sultan's palace museum and strait views.

Evening: Dinner at Bissara, the fava-bean soup breakfast of dockworkers, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in The Kasbah.

Eat: Bissara, the fava-bean soup breakfast of dockworkers

Day 7, Slow finish

Base: The Medina, A manageable old town of souks, the Grand Socco and the Petit Socco cafes.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in The Medina, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore The Medina, A manageable old town of souks, the Grand Socco and the Petit Socco cafes.

Evening: Dinner at Seafood pastilla in the kasbah quarter, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in The Medina.

Eat: Seafood pastilla in the kasbah quarter

Hidden gems

The Librairie des Colonnes bookshop, a literary institution since 1949.
Cinema Rif on the Grand Socco, restored and screening arthouse films.
The Perdicaris Park forest trails above the strait.
Day trip to Asilah's mural-painted medina, 45 minutes south.

Getting around

Tangier's Ibn Battouta airport is 15km southwest with flights across Europe. The Al Boraq high-speed train reaches Casablanca in 2h10 via Rabat, and ferries connect to Tarifa in Spain in about an hour from the city port. In town, petit taxis are cheap and plentiful; the medina and kasbah are walkable but hilly. Grand taxis serve Cap Spartel and Asilah.

Safety

Tangier is safe for visitors and far calmer than its hustler reputation suggests, though ignore the faux guides who approach around the port and ferry terminal. Standard city caution applies in the medina at night and on the beach after dark. The strait wind can be fierce year-round, so bring a layer even in summer. Dress modestly in the old town.

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